Za’atar Manoushe is a beloved and delicious flaky flatbread popular throughout the Middle East and Mediterranean. Now you can make it at home with Zesty Z dried za’atar shaker. 

If you’ve ever been to a Lebanese, Armenian, Palestinian, or Turkish bakery and seen (and smelled) the beautiful piles of soft circular flatbreads smeared with a savory green topping, then you’ve experienced za’atar manouche. 

There’s a lot to love about this Lebanese za’atar bread. So here’s what you need to know about what it is, how to serve it, and even how you can even make it for yourself at home!

What Is Za’atar Manoushe?

This bread is ubiquitous throughout Lebanon and the Levant. It goes by many different names, including manaqish, manakeesh, manooshe, and man’ousheh. But at its core, this is a simple and utterly delicious delicacy with a few key characteristics. 

Za’atar manouche is a round flatbread made with simple ingredients and flavored generously with za’atar and olive oil. 

The za’atar on top is mixed with olive oil to make a thick, gritty paste. The paste is spread on the rolled flatbreads before they go into the oven. As the bread cooks, the heat and oil wake up the naturally bright, herbal flavors in dry za’atar. By the time the bread comes out of the oven and is ready to eat, you’ve infused the bread with serious flavor.  

Flavor of Za’atar Manouche

The flavor of this rich, oily flatbread come from the ingredients in za’atar, such as:

• Dried Mediterranean thyme
• Dried oregano
• White sesame seeds
• Sumac

Together, this spice blend offers a balance of earthy, vibrant and nutty flavors. 

How to Serve Za’atar Manouche

Whether you buy the Lebanese flatbread at a store or make it at home, it’s going to have enough flavor that you can enjoy it as-is. 

You’ll also often find the flatbread served with fresh condiments like diced cucumbers, pitted black olives, fresh mint and juicy tomatoes. 

You can pile your toppings onto the flatbread, roll it closed like a fluffy sandwich, and dig in!

Making Za’atar Manouche

If you want to try making this simple and delicious flatbread on your own, you only need a few simple ingredients. 

First, you’ll make an easy dough with:

• Flour
• Olive oil
• Water
• Instant yeast
• Salt

The yeast will give your bread a bit of puffiness, but overall the bread comes out flat and airy. 

Of course, the important part of making za’atar manoushe is the topping. This is where the true flavor comes into play. You can use Zesty Z Za’atar Olive Oil Condiment as a single-ingredient topping for your freshly baked flatbreads. 

Or, blend Zesty Z Dried Za’atar Seasoning with extra-virgin olive oil in a 3:5 ratio of spice to oil. You should make a thick, spreadable paste. 

Once you mix the dough, shape the flatbread, add the topping, and bake it in a hot oven, your entire house will smell of the wafting aroma of herbs, sesame and sumac. The good news is that you won't have to wait long to dig into this fluffy and crowd-pleasing manouche!

Buy Premium Za’atar Today

If you're convinced that it’s time to try your own homemade manouche, get yourself the best za’atar. Find a Zesty Z retailer near you or order zaatar online for delivery right to your door.